Adjectives · 하다 word

강하다 conjugation

to be strong · ganghada · sounds like [강하다]

Short answer: “Strong” in Korean is 강하다 (ganghada). Polite present: 강해요 (ganghaeyo); past: 강했어요 (ganghaesseoyo); future: 강할 거예요. It is a 하다 adjective: 하 + 아/어 always becomes 해.

Present강해요[강해요] · ganghaeyo
Past강했어요[강해써요] · ganghaesseoyo
Future강할 거예요[강할 꺼예요] · ganghal geoyeyo
Negative안 강해요[안 강해요] · an ganghaeyo

Opposite: 약하다 — to be weak

강하다 in sentences

바람이 강해요.The wind is strong.
강한 사람이 되고 싶어요.I want to be a strong person.

All forms of 강하다

Present
Polite (해요) is the everyday safe choice; formal (합니다) is for news, announcements and work; casual (반말) is for close friends and younger people.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-아/어요	강해요	[강해요]	ganghaeyo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	강합니다	[강함니다]	ganghamnida
casual-아/어	강해	[강해]	ganghae
plain (written)-다	강하다	[강하다]	ganghada
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	강합니까?	[강함니까]	ganghamnikka?

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	강했어요	[강해써요]	ganghaesseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	강했습니다	[강핻씀니다]	ganghaetseumnida
casual-았/었어	강했어	[강해써]	ganghaesseo
plain (written)-았/었다	강했다	[강핻따]	ganghaetda

Future
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite — will probably be-(으)ㄹ 거예요	강할 거예요	[강할 꺼예요]	ganghal geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다	강할 겁니다	[강할 껌니다]	ganghal geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야	강할 거야	[강할 꺼야]	ganghal geoya

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 강해요	[안 강해요]	an ganghaeyo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 강했어요	[안 강해써요]	an ganghaesseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	강하지 않아요	[강하지 아나요]	ganghaji anayo

Honorific
Add -(으)시- when the subject is someone you respect (a teacher, a customer, an older person) — not yourself.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
honorific — present-(으)세요	강하세요	[강하세요]	ganghaseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	강하셨어요	[강하셔써요]	ganghasyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	강하십니다	[강하심니다]	ganghasimnida

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	강하고	[강하고]	ganghago
… so / and then-아/어서	강해서	[강해서]	ganghaeseo
if …-(으)면	강하면	[강하면]	ganghamyeon
… but-지만	강하지만	[강하지만]	ganghajiman
because …-(으)니까	강하니까	[강하니까]	ganghanikka
… and / but (background)-(으)ㄴ데	강한데	[강한데]	ganghande
even if …-아/어도	강해도	[강해도]	ganghaedo
while …-(으)면서	강하면서	[강하면서]	ganghamyeonseo

Describing a noun
These go before a noun: “the food (that) I ate”, “a cold day”.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
(that is) …-(으)ㄴ	강한	[강한]	ganghan
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	강할	[강할]	ganghal

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
can be …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	강할 수 있어요	[강할 쑤 이써요]	ganghal su isseoyo
cannot be …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	강할 수 없어요	[강할 쑤 업써요]	ganghal su eopseoyo
have to be …-아/어야 해요	강해야 해요	[강해야 해요]	ganghaeya haeyo
it’s OK if it’s …-아/어도 돼요	강해도 돼요	[강해도 돼요]	ganghaedo dwaeyo
…ly (adverb)-게	강하게	[강하게]	ganghage
becomes …-아/어지다	강해져요	[강해저요]	ganghaejeoyo
…ing (noun)-기	강하기	[강하기]	ganghagi

How 강하다 changes

Every 하다 word works the same way: 하 + 여 becomes 해 → 강해요, 강했어요. With other endings 하 stays as it is: 강합니다, 강하면.

How every verb type works → · Why it sounds like that →

Questions

How do you say “strong” in Korean?

“Strong” is 강하다 (ganghada), pronounced [강하다]. In a sentence: 바람이 강해요. — The wind is strong.

What is the past tense of 강하다?

강했어요 (ganghaesseoyo) is the polite past tense of 강하다 (“to be strong”). Formal: 강했습니다; casual: 강했어.

How do you say 강하다 politely?

Everyday polite: 강해요 (ganghaeyo). Formal: 강합니다. Casual, with close friends: 강해.

How do you say “not strong” in Korean?

안 강해요 or 강하지 않아요. Both mean the same; the first is more common in speech.

Is 강하다 irregular?

No. Every 하다 word works the same way: 하 + 여 becomes 해 → 강해요, 강했어요. With other endings 하 stays as it is: 강합니다, 강하면.

More 하다 words like 강하다

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Forms follow 한글 맞춤법 (Korean spelling rules); pronunciation follows 표준 발음법 and romanization follows 국어의 로마자 표기법 (Revised Romanization). Last updated October 16, 2026. How we check